The present invention is directed to adjustment mechanisms for shape adjusting baskets of seats.
Seats for vehicles or for use at the home or office may be provided with internal structures that are adjustable to change the shape of the seat to comfortably support the occupant. The mechanisms for adjusting the seats typically include a basket that is flexed by a link such as a cable. A handle is operably connected with a shaft to a gear mechanism for adjusting the amount of flex provided by the link . The handle protrudes to one side of the seat where it may be grasped and manipulated as desired to adjust the seat.
It is desirable that the structure of the adjustment mechanism be sufficiently versatile to accommodate seats of different widths. Presently, the shaft length is dictated by the distance between the handle located at the sidewall of the seat and the gear mechanism located internally within the seat. Significant savings in production costs can be achieved by reducing the number of shaft lengths required to accommodate seats of different widths. For aesthetic reasons, it is also desirable that the handle be retractable to a position that is generally flush with the sidewall of the seat to provide a sleeker overall profile.
In one aspect, the present invention provides an adjustment mechanism for a basket, the mechanism comprising;
a handle;
an elongate shaft operably connected to said handle for rotation thereby; and
a gear mechanism connected to a link for flexing said basket, said gear mechanism being attachable to a first end of the basket and said link being attachable to a second end of the basket, said gear mechanism including a gear defining a bore for slidably receiving said shaft, said bore having a complementary cross sectional profile to said shaft over at least a portion of its length to translate rotational movement of said shaft into rotational movement of said gear; wherein said shaft is permitted to slide along the axis of said bore while remaining in rotatable engagement therewith to permit changes in the relative positions of said handle and said gear mechanism.
In another aspect, the invention provides an apparatus comprising:
aportion of a seat having a sidewall defining a recess;
a basket located within said seat portion;
a handle disposed in said recess;
an elongate shaft operably connected to said handle for rotation thereby; and
a gear mechanism connected to a link for flexing said basket, said gear mechanism being attached to a first end of the basket and said link being attached to a second end of the basket, said gear mechanism including a gear defining a bore for slidably receiving said shaft, said bore and said shaft having complementary cross sectional profiles over at least a portion of their lengths to translate rotational movement of said shaft into rotational movement of said gear; wherein said shaft is permitted to slide along the axis of said bore while remaining in rotatable engagement therewith to permit changes in the relative positions of said handle and said gear mechanism.